Mead Johnson Nutrition Company was a winner within the food & beverage industry, rising $1.19 (1.6%) to $77 on average volume.

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Mead Johnson Nutrition Company ( MJN) pushed the Food & Beverage industry higher today making it today's featured food & beverage winner. The industry as a whole closed the day down 0.1%. By the end of trading, Mead Johnson Nutrition Company rose $1.19 (1.6%) to $77 on average volume. Throughout the day, 1.9 million shares of Mead Johnson Nutrition Company exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 1.9 million shares. The stock ranged in a price between $76.11-$77.25 after having opened the day at $76.20 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $75.81. Other companies within the Food & Beverage industry that increased today were: Castle Brands Incorporated ( ROX), up 10.6%, Synutra International ( SYUT), up 6.2%, Reeds ( REED), up 4.4%, and MGP Ingredients ( MGPI), up 4.2%.

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Mead Johnson Nutrition Company manufactures, distributes, and sells infant formulas, children's nutrition, and other nutritional products. Mead Johnson Nutrition Company has a market cap of $15.09 billion and is part of the consumer goods sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 25.3, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 14.9% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday. Currently there are six analysts that rate Mead Johnson Nutrition Company a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and six rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Mead Johnson Nutrition Company as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its notable return on equity, expanding profit margins, good cash flow from operations, impressive record of earnings per share growth and compelling growth in net income. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had lackluster performance in the stock itself.